How to Raise a Genius Idol

On the eve of filming an S+ acting variety show, a popular contestant's career implodes. The production team throws in the towel and randomly picks an out-of-work child star to save the day.

As soon as the news breaks, netizens erupt:

[Willow Junyi? The obscure nobody who played a young emperor for three episodes when he was ten and then vanished without a trace?]

[LMAO, can't wait for this has-been to get eliminated in round one. The sacrificial lamb script is ready and waiting!]

To make the sacrifice as dramatic as possible, the production team gives Willow Junyi the hardest role in the first round: a down-and-out prince betrayed by his own family, whose home is destroyed and who falls from the heights of power into the depths of despair.

Everyone waits to see him embarrass himself, but...

The camera zooms in. Willow Junyi doesn't wail hysterically. He slowly raises his eyes, a tear hanging at the corner of one eye, not quite falling, as a cruel smile lifts his lips.

His hatred runs deep, but his pride remains unbroken.

He looks exactly like a fallen prince who has crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

The other contestants turn deathly pale: ...Weren't we told he was an has-been child star? This is freaking an award-winning actor descending from the heavens to crush us with his superior skills!!!

.

Willow Junyi won every international award there was, but died young. When he opens his eyes again, he's become a cannon-fodder character so obscure he's fallen through the earth.

The director gives him a perfunctory pat on the shoulder. "Just do whatever. They'll cut all your scenes in post anyway."

Watching the stage, Willow Junyi sees the other contestants forget their lines, fake their tears, fail to get into character, and need take after take. Hardly anyone takes their acting seriously.

Then he thinks back to his previous life, to the countless days and nights he poured his heart and soul into every role.

He politely asks the director, "Um... would it be all right if I touched up a couple of lines in the script?"

After that...

Audience: "Chinese entertainment is saved! This performance makes the original male lead look like nothing!"

Director: "Why are you even doing an acting variety show? Pick any S+ leading-man drama from my slate!"

Screenwriter: "What kind of role do you want, boss? I'll start writing a script tailored to you right now!!!"

Theme: Even if you get a fresh start, you still have to work hard.